George Edwards was with the Miami Dolphins when they switched from a 4-3 defensive scheme to a 3-4 five years ago.

Stars such as Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor were asked to do new and different things, the same way players like Paul Posluszny and Marcus Stroud will be asked next season when Buffalo switches to a 3-4 under Edwards, the Bills new defensive coordinator.

"I've been a part of that transition," said Edwards, Miami's linebackers coach since 2005. "Is it hard? Yeah, it's hard. Is it different? Yes, it's different. But at the end of the day it still boils down to defense and being able to get off a block and make a play on the running back or whoever the ball carrier is. At the end of the day, that's what defense is about and that's what we've got to focus on. Schematics and all those things, they're going to come with the strength of the personnel that we have, but at the end of the day that's what we've got to do."

The Bills have begun the process of switching to a three-man front with four linebackers, a scheme that the NFL's best defenses run and one that Buffalo hasn't used since Wade Phillips left town after the 2000 season. Analyzing players on the current roster and deciding if they can make the transition is Job One right now.

"You can call this an evaluation process to see what guys can do, where they can fit, what roles they can play, those types of deals," Edwards said.

In other words, head coach Chan Gailey and Edwards are convinced they want to play a 3-4 but they must answer the question, "How much can we play it with the personnel we have?"

"Like I said, we're going to start from the 3-4 from a schematics standpoint because we think it'll be the most advantageous thing to start out with because it gives us the flexibility to adjust to a lot of things where offenses will have to guess who's rushing, who's dropping, what we're doing coverage wise," Edwards said. "Now as we get through the process like coach said, the biggest thing is we'll play to the strength of the football players that we have. Whether through this evaluation process whether they've been here, whether they're through free agency or whether through the draft, we're going to adjust to what our personnel does best. But you've got to have a starting point."

Glancing at Buffalo's current roster, it's clear that its front seven will need an overhaul, starting with finding a prototypical nose tackle and bigger linebackers.

At the nose, where it all starts in a 3-4, tackles Marcus Stroud (310 pounds) and Kyle Williams (305) are undersized.

So are ends Aaron Schobel (243), Chris Kelsay (261), and Aaron Maybin (250). Stroud has the potential to kick out to end and Schobel, Kelsay and Maybin could be outside linebackers. What helps them in a 3-4 is less area to cover at linebacker as the field is divided into quarters instead of thirds.

As for linebackers, Posluszny and Kawika Mitchell are each well-suited to play the middle.

Players like linemen John McCargo and Chris Ellis and linebackers Keith Ellison and Nic Harris could be difficult fits.

There is speculation Buffalo will go after linebacker Joey Porter, who played for Edwards in Miami, if he's released and becomes a free agent in March. Porter had 17.5 sacks two seasons ago. Pittsburgh's Casey Hampton is a potential free agent at nose tackle.

While teams can get away with less-than-ideal sized players at some positions, the 3-4scheme revolves around a giant nose man. Buffalo employed Fred Smerlas and Ted Washington in that capacity in the past.

"I think anytime you talk about a 3-4 defense that's where it starts at. It starts at the nose," Edwards said. "You want to be strong up the middle so that is a position that you definitely have to concentrate on and you have to look at what you're going to ask that guy to do."

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